(Not Applicable)
(Not Applicable)
The present invention relates to a technique and business method for applying selected designs and written inscriptions on two or three-dimensional objects, such as plates, jars, vases and the like.
Customized gifts or accessories useful in a variety of different circumstances. Where a particular image writing a particular meaning, it may be desirable to have the image or writing memorialized on a product. Thus, for example, a parent may wish to preserve a child""s drawings or writings on a mug or plate. Contemporary technologies exist for applying photographs or the like to ceramic pieces. However, those technologies are typically photographic in nature and generally result in low quality images.
Another application for customized ceramic products relates to promotional items or private labeled items, such as mugs or plates having the name of a particular company, resort or museum. In such cases those production techniques are typically utilized which produce higher quality images, but require substantial production runs to have commercial application. Moreover, such techniques typically do not allow for highly reproducible hand painting which may provide a greater vibrance and custom feel of the product. Accordingly, there exists a need for technique to accurately reproduce, in varying production quantities, individual images or notations, as applied to ceramic products in a hand painted fashion.
Highly reproducible hand painted ceramic techniques have application beyond promotional items and other mementoes. For example, retailers may desire to use high quality hand painted reproductions of their proprietary designs on different types of products. In some cases, those products complement other articles that they sell. In other cases, the products may be unrelated to the products sold by the same source. Independent products may, for example, arise where a popular television character is juxtaposed on the ceramic product. The use of designs on related products may arise where some design coordination is desired.
For example, a homeowner or a decorator may find it advantageous to utilize a common design theme on furniture, fixtures, wall coverings, window coverings or the like. Recognizing the marketability of such coordinated products, companies offering patterned bedding (e.g., sheets and comforters) may also offer coordinating wall coverings. In some cases, lamps or other accessories may also incorporate common design components as those on sheets or bedding. In other cases, plates, vases, jars or other accessories are manufactured to incorporate the same design.
However, while coordination of furniture and fabric designs are commercially available, the range of available coordinated products is typically limited to only certain, high volume designs. Accordingly, a customer may find that the coordinating products of interest are not available in the particular bedding or wall covering design selected. Efforts to apply low volume designs to accessories, such as a jar or vase, may be beyond the practical ability of many customers or suppliers, and not economically viable for suppliers to market.
The present invention is directed to a technique and business method which will allow for the application of selected designs to two or three-dimensional objects, such as plates, mugs, jars and vases. The invention allows for the application of preselected inventory of designs, or of a custom selected design. In accordance with the present invention, even small or single orders can be economically processed to provide greater customer choices and new business opportunities for retailers and suppliers.
A method of hand painting ceramic objects as disclosed, which allows user selection of an object to be painted and a design to be applied. A composite three-dimensional image is formed of the design, as applied to an image of the selected object. The image is selectively colored as desired by the user. A two-dimensional projection of the selected image is formed, the projection corresponding to the selected image, as modified to conform to the contours of the selected object. The projection is segmented by commonly colored image portions and stencils are formed, corresponding to the segments. The stencils may be sequentially applied to an article, represented by the selected object, in order to facilitate hand painting of the selected design upon the article.
Various techniques may be used to input and/or select from various designs and objects. The designs may be loaded into a database proximate a user""s work station, or may be remotely accessed. In another embodiment, the designs may be drawn from web sites, by means such as links from a user work station, or using search engines having appropriate design selection criteria. And yet another embodiment, the image designs may be scanned in by a user, e.g. where a user intends to purchase a particular fabric design and wants a ceramic article hand painted to correspond with that design.
The ceramic articles to be painted may similarly be selected from an internal database of popular designs, or from designs available in remote database or at different web sites accessed by computer links or search engines.
The selected object and selected design are merged to a composite representation, which allows the user to properly locate and size the selected design in relation to the selected object. In accordance with the invention a three dimensional representation of the selected object is formed, or is already loaded into the object database. The selected design is mated to the contours of the selected object in such a manner to preserve the visual integrity of the design a s normally viewed when applied to the product. As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill, the result is that the selected design is modified from its original form, when viewed in a two dimensional projection of the design as applied to the contours of the selected object. Stencils are formed corresponding to the projected image, and segmented in accordance with a common color(s) applied to portions of the selected design. The stencils may include peel-off or punch-out portions allowing a painter to peel-off or punch-out all portions commonly coded to the same color. The stencils may then be applied to the article to be painted such that painting occurs only in those peeled-off or punched-out areas.
The stencils may be provided with common registration marks to assure the integrity of the completed, hand-painted design.
As explained below, various other additions, enhancements and modifications of the invention may be made within the broader spirit and scope of the invention.